From the manual form to the party website: Where did the votes in the Jerusalem district disappear to? |
An investigation by 'Hayom' reveals discrepancies between manual vote-counting forms in the Likud primaries and the official data published on the party website. The gaps focus on polling stations in Jerusalem and relate to voting for the national list and the Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and Shfela district. Ministers and Knesset members arrived at Metzudat Ze'ev for clarification, and the issue will be brought tomorrow to the party's court for a decision.
An investigation conducted by 'Hayom' reveals significant discrepancies between the manual vote-counting forms in the Likud primaries and the official data published on the party website in an Excel file. The gaps focus on polling stations in Jerusalem and raise questions about the reliability of the published results. At polling station number 25 in the capital, Knesset member Amir Ohana received 83 votes according to the manual record, but the official file recorded 145 votes in his favor – a gap of 62 votes. A similar trend was recorded for other senior figures: Ze'ev Elkin (46 vs. 78), David Amsalem (59 vs. 101), Avichai Boaron (64 vs. 101), David Bitan (39 vs. 71), and Nir Barkat (42 vs. 74). At polling station number 5, even more extreme gaps were found in the voting for the Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and Shfela district: candidate Shabtai Katesh received 24 votes on the manual form compared to just one vote in the online file, and Erez Tadmor, who won the district, received 54 manual votes compared to 13 in the file. Following the findings, ministers Ze'ev Elkin and Gila Gamliel, along with Knesset member Etty Atiya, arrived at Metzudat Ze'ev to investigate the source of the differences. Tomorrow, the party's court is expected to discuss the issue. The article notes that the gaps do not necessarily indicate intentional election tampering, and they may stem from typing errors or data entry glitches, but the scope of the phenomenon warrants a thorough investigation. The Likud's response was not received.